MAP program helps achieve higher MEAP scores

February 19, 2013

ALPENA - Alpena Public Schools has been implementing a program since the beginning of the 2012 school year to improve scores on the MEAP tests.

The Math Achievement Promise program is a STEM learning project focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is a multi-tiered system of support which builds a firm foundation for future success. Teachers have been collecting a continuous stream of data to help allow them to adjust their instruction methods and produce positive results.

"It is a matter of getting the staff on board, then parents, then the community to show them this program is preparing for a better future for our community," Lee Fitzpatrick, parent involvement coordinator for APS, said.

Fizpatrick, Meaghan Black and Dan Wilson spoke to the board of education during its meeting on Monday.

"We have taken a very proactive approach to a very serious project in our district," said Black, who is an elementary math coach.

Black provided the board with data showing a significant increase in math proficiency on the elementary level with improvements of over 50 percent in first and second grade and substantial increases in third through fifth.

Junior high and high school students also have been using the MAP program applying a tool called "target time" in which the teachers can work one on one with the students struggling in math.

"Targeting is the key to moving toward success with struggling students," said Wilson, who teaches pre-calculus, geometry and trigonometry.

The MAP program has been producing positive results in all K-12 classrooms in which it is being used, Fitzpatrick said. Parents and students can access math help resources by visiting the APS website and using the links under math support or by visiting the schools Facebook page.